Railway-tie and fastener.



H. S. ISHAM.

RAILWAY TIE AND FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.31.19|6.

l ,21 9, 3 1 9 Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- H. S. ISHAM.

RAILWAY T |E AND FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3h19l6.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- HARRY s. ISI-IAM, "or BELMAR, NEW JERSEY...

RAILWAY-TIE AND FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed March 31, 1916. Serial No. 88,062.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY .S. ISHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belmar, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties andFast-eners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is a fastening device for railroad rails and includes a rail tie of novel construction, the invention combining the advantages of a wood tie as well as the advantages of a metallic tie.

In railway roadbeds, wooden ties have been found advantageous because of their resiliency, and cheapness. The scarcity of good timber suitable for ties and the short life of a tie have greatly increased the cost of installation and maintenance of a roadhed. Efforts have been made to prolong the life of the ties by subjecting the timber to various treatments prior to installation into the roadbed, but even when the treated ties are employed the roadbed must be constantly inspected and repaired. The inspection and repair of a roadbed necessitates the constant employment of a number of men, resulting in great expense to the railroad companies annually. Efforts have been made to remedy the defects of the wood ties by the employment of all steel ties, or concrete ties, and various combinations of materials, but in such cases the rigid ties do not possess the necessary resiliency found so desirable in the wood tie, and are subject to many other well known objections.

illlxperience has demonstrated the advantages of steel and wood in the road bed, but the problem has been to provide a structure in which this combination can be made which will be durable and commercially practicable on account of its cost of installation, when taken into consideration with its length of service and its cost of maintenance, as compared with roadbeds wherein wooden ties, or wooden-treated ties are employed.

This invention aims to retain all the practical benefits of the wooden ties combined with the greater durability of the metallic tics, and to so combine the metal and fibrous parts that the assembled structure may be maintained with a minimum of-road repair,

thereby saving, in the aggregate, the enormous cost of maintenance of the rondbed by the constant employment of track laborers.

The invention dispenses with rail joints, fish-plates, spikes, bolts and nuts, as well as many other appliances now considered necessary in the retaining of the rail, the combination of elements cooperating to grip the rail and hold it so firmly that the rails cannot spread apart, even if a rail should become broken. The invention has the further advantage of clamping the rail irrespective of the length of the rail and at the same time dispensing with connecting plates and bolts which necessitate the weakening of the rail to provide apertures through which the bolts may pass. Moreover, the rail clamping devices may be employed to age the track, the devices serving as a aw of a vise and operating to maintain the rails in their adjusted position. By the employment of rail supporting means in addition to the tie, the rail may be elevated sufiiciently to prevent grounding of the current of electricity.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

lVhile practical embodiments of the device are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the constructions therein shown are for the purposes of illustration only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view ofa tie with the rails shown secured thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of a tie showing the retaining means disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the supporting blocks.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the yoke members.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the resilient fastening clips.

6 is a front elevation of a tie with a supporting block for a plurality of rails.

F 7 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the yokes shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of a supporting block with upper wedge plate.

Fig. 10 is a detail view of a supporting block with a lower wedge plate.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a fastening clip.

Fig. 12 is a bottom view of a fastening clip.

Fig. 13 is an end view of a metallic tie member.

Fig. 14 is a detail view of a supporting block with a wear plate.

The railway tie and fastener combines the desirable qualities of a wooden tie and a metallic tie associated with rail gripping devices which have a broad bearing or engaging surface with a portion, such as a foot, of a rail. The tie proper may be in the form of a metal beam, such as an I-beam, which may be provided with a yoke member formed thereon or secured thereto. The yoke member may be so constructed that its upper portion or roof is on a plane above that of the foot of the rail. Associated with the yoke member is a fastening device which may be in the form of a resilient plate or clip having a portion adapted to bear against a portion of the rail to hold the same, such bearing portion being preferably thickened. The plate or clip may be concavo-convex in form, if desired, and one end thereof may be formed into a tapered substantially sharpened edge. The supporting element for the rail is preferably of fibrous material, and in practice may be formed from wood, although it is obvious that any other suitable material may be employed which will permit of the yielding action which is found desirable in a wooden tie. r The sup porting element is adapted to be interposed between the tie and the rail, and cooperates with the fastening plates or clips to clamp and secure a rail. The supporting element may be driven into the yoke or yokes to its rail supporting position by any suitable means, and when so assembled into the structure acts to retain the fastening plates or clips in their operative positions by bearing on the plates or clips to deflect the rail-engaging ends thereof into frictional engagement with the rail, the sharpened end of the plate or clip biting into the material of the fibrous supporting element. If desired, a metallic wear plate may be interposed between the fibrous rail supporting element and the rail to prevent wear on the fibrous block. Furthermore, the rails of a track may be slightly inclined toward each other by inserting wedge blocks or plates between the tie and rail, or this inclination of the rails may be effected by making the fibrous blocks slightly wedge-shaped. The rail may be insulated electrically from its sup porting means by any suitable manner.

Referring more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the tie is indicated at 1, and may be in the form of a steel I-beam having flanges 2 at the top to provide a bearing surface, and flanges 3 at the bottom to serve as the baseof the rail.

Each tie is shown provided with a plurality of yoke members 4: which are shown (in Fig. 4) in the form of a sheet of metal bent to form a top portion or roof 5, side portions 6, and the ends thence bent inwardly to form substantially parallel retaining lips 7 These yoke members 4 may be secured to the tie in any suitable manner, one means being shown as rivets 8 passing through the lips 7 and the web 1 of the tie. The yoke member 4 may be cut away as at 9, at its upper portion, to provide a recess through which the rail may extend to rest upon a suitable supporting element 10.

The rail supporting element 10 may be in the form of short blocks, as shown in Fig. 1, or it may be an elongated fibrous member, such as is indicated at 11 in Fig. 6. It is preferred to make the supporting element 10 of comparatively short members owing to the saving of material, the facility with which they may be inserted and the cheapness of their replacement when worn orinjured. By forming the supporting blocks 10 of wood, or equivalent material, the track is provided with the resiliency found desirable in track equipment, as the rail, indicated at 12, may bear directly against the block. However, to prevent the block from becoming unduly worn by the rail, a wear plate 13 may be employed, which may be positioned within a recess 14: of the block, or may rest upon the block without forming a recess therein. The block 10 may be of the same dimensions throughout its length, with a reduced inserting end or nose 15, or it may be slightly tapered in thickness from the nose 15 to the driving end 16 thereof. The thicker driving end 16 of the block is de signed to be positioned to the exterior of the track with the nose of lesser thickness directed toward the interior of the track, thereby operating to slightly incline the rails toward each other and from their usual perpendicular position.

' This tilting of the rails, however, may be effected by the employment of a wedge plate 17 which may be positioned above the block 10, and thereby serve also as a wear plate, or the plate 17 may be interposed between the block 10 and the upper portion 2 of a tie.

The rail fastening plate or clip is indicated at 18 and may be made of any suitable material, such as tempered spring steel. is shown as a curved plate, in concavo-convex form, which may be tapered from a thickened end 19 to a substantially tapered or feathered edge 20 at its other end. The end 19 may be provided with a thickened offset member 21 providing a recess or transverse groove 22 on its under face, and with a shoulder 23 on its upper inclined portion adjacent the head 24 of the device. The recess or groove 22 is designed to receive a portion of the foot of a rail and to forcibly engage the same when the block 10 acts against the plate or clip 18. The block 10 bears against the portion 25 of the plate or clip and also against the sharpened edge 20 to direct the shoulder portion 23 against an edge 26 of the yoke member, whereby the plate or clip 18 acts as a lever, fulcrumed at 23 against the portion 26 to have its bearing surface 22 bear against the rail when the long arm of the lever, formed by the body of the plate, is operated by the block engaging the end 20. Even should the body 18 of the plate or clip become broken, the portion remaining integral with the end 19 will be acted upon by the block 10 to retain the offset portion 24 in engagement with the rail. Moreover, the sharpened edges 20 of the plate or clip 18 bite into the material of the block 10 and serve to prevent displacement of the block as well as holding the rail against movement, especially spreading movement.

Where the rail is used as an electrical conductor, the tie 1 and yoke 4 cooperate to maintain the rail in sufficient height to prevent grounding of the current, as by the construction shown herein, the rail may be positioned at greater elevation than is customary with the ordinary wooden tie now in common use. Furthermore, if desired, suitable electrical insulation may be employed at the desired places, such insulation being indicated at 27 and shown positioned between the clips and their yoke ff.

The plates or clips 18 would cooperate with the yoke members 28 in a manner similar to that described in connection with the yoke disclosed in Fig. 4.

The device eliminates the use of spikes, fish-plates and the like, as the rails are not connected together. or clips 18 securely and firmly hold the rails, prevent their spreading, maintain them at the proper gage, and yet permit of the slip of the rail due to the action of heat and cold. The unitary track system formed by the rails and the ties reduces to a minimum the cost of the road bed, as stone ballast may be entirely eliminated, and the space between the ties l filled with dirt, ashes and the like, the rails being elevated above the ground material by the blocks 10, thereby maintaining the rails on a plane above that in which theywould be rendered impassable at the ordinary height sleet and snow reach in the tracks.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. A railway tie fastener, comprising a tie having a yoke member formed thereon,

The fastening devices a fastening device and a supporting element cooperating with the fastening device and said member to retain the fastening device in holding engagement with a rail.

2. A railway tie fastener comprising a yoke adapted to be mounted upon a tie, a plurality of fastening devices each provided with a recess to engage a part of a railroad rail, and a supporting elementinterposed between a tie and a rail to direct the fastening devices against the yoke and into gripping engagement with the rail.

3. A railway tie fastener comprising a yoke adapted to be mounted upon a tie, a plurality of fastening devices each provided with a recessed portion, said devices serving as levers fulcrumed against the yoke with their recessed portions engaging a part of a rail, and a fibrous supporting element adapted to be positioned within the yoke to maintain such fastening devices in engagement with the rail.

4. A railway tie fastener comprising a yoke adapted to be secured to a tie, a plural ity of fastening devices one end of each of which is adapted to extend through the yoke and into engagement with the foot of rail, said fastening devices being curved longitudinally and tapered in thickness from that portion which engages the rail to the other extremity thereof, said fastening device being provided with a transverse groove to be seated against the rail and a shoulder serving as a fulcrum for the fastening device to engage the yoke, and a fibrous supporting element adapted to be inserted between the tie and the rail to cause said fastening devices to move into gripping engagement with the rail.

5. A railway tie fastener comprising a serve as a fulcrum for said fastening device i'.

against said yoke, and means interposed be tween the rail and the tie to cause said fastening device to be moved into gripping engagement with the rail.

6. A railway tie fastener comprising a yoke adapted to be secured to a tie, a plurality of fastening devices each being comprised of material of varying thickness, that portion of the greatest thickness being provided with a seat and adapted to extend through the yoke and be seated against a rail, said fastening devices being provided also with means to contact with the yoke and serve as a fulcrum, a supporting member positioned between the tie and rail and adapted to cooperate with a plurality of said fastening devices to retain them in operative position and to cause said devices to beinoved into gripping engagement with the rai 7. A. railway tie fastener comprising a yoke having a portion thereof cut out to receive a rail, a plurality of curved wedgeshaped retaining devices adapted to be positioned within the yoke and to have a thickened end thereof extend through the cut-out portion into engagement with a part of a rail, said thickened portion being provided with a seat to engage the rail and an inclined section adapted to Contact with a portion of the yoke to serve as a fulcrum for the retaining devices, and a fibrous block adapted to be driven into said yoke between the rail and tie and to operate upon the thinner portions of said retaining devices to cause them to act as gripping lovers to engage the rail.

8. A railway tie fastener having a yoke, a fastening device cooperating with the yoke to engage a part of a railway rail, said fastening device being tapered in thickness from one end to the other end thereof, the thickened end of the fastening device being provided with a seat to receive a part of the rail and with an inclined surface serving as a bearing portion to engage a part of the yoke, a fibrous supporting element adapted to be interposed between the rail and a tie and to bear against the thinner ends of said fastening devices to cause said elements to move about a fulcrum upon their bearing portion and into binding engagement with the rail.

9. A railway tie and fastener comprising a yoke adapted to be mounted upon a supporting element, a rail fastening device adapted to cooperate with the yoke to have gripping engagement with a portion of the rail, said fastening device being tapered in thickness with the thicker portion engaging the rail and having means to contact with the yoke to serve as a fulcrum point for the fastening device, fibrous element positioned within the yoke, and a plate cooperating with the fibrous element to move said fastening device on its fulcrum point to gripping engagement with a railway rail.

10. A railway tie fastener compr1s1ng a yoke, which cooperates with a rail and a tie, a wedge-shaped fastening device adapted to be positioned in cooperative engagement with the yoke, said fastening device having a shoulder adapted to bear against a portion of the yoke to direct a part of the fastening device into engagement with apart of the rail, a fibrous supporting element adapted to be interposed between the rail and the tie and serving to direct the fastening device into gripping engagement with the rail, and a metallic plate cooperating with said fibrous element to maintain said clamping devices into gripping engagement with the rail.

11. A railway tie fastener including a yoke, a fastening device cooperating with the yoke, said fastening device being of varying thickness and curved throughout the length thereof to form a concavo-convex plate and provided with an off-set thickened portion forming a bearin point to be engaged by the yoke, said off-setportion serving also as a seat to receive a portion of a railway rail, and means to be inserted into the yoke and between the rail and tie to engage the thinner edgeof the fastening device and direct its thickened off-set portion into gripping engagement with a portion of the rail.

1 A railway tie fastener including a yoke, a fastening device cooperating with the yoke, said fastening device being of varying thickness and curved throughout the length thereof to form a concavoconvex plate, with an offset portion forming a bearing point to be engaged by the yoke, said offset portion serving as a seat to receive a portion of a railway rail, and a fibrous element adapted to be positioned within the yoke and between the rail and tie, said fibrous elcment being slightly tapered and operating to cause the fastening devices to move into 0 gripping engagement with the rail, and by the taper of the fibrous element to slightly incline the rail from its perpendicular.

13. In a railway tie and fastener, the combination with railway rail and a tie, of a yoke secured to the tie, a wedge-shaped retaining device having a thickened off-set ortion providing a groove to receive a portion of the rail, and a fibrous tapered element adapted to be interposed between the rail and tie and to be driven into the yoke to engage a portion of the fastening device to cause said device to bear against and be fulcrumed on, the yoke to direct the ofi-set portion into gripping en agement with a part i. i

of the rail.

14. In a railway tie, the combination with a railway rail and tie, of a yoke secured to the tie, said yoke being provided with a cutout portion to permit the rail to extend 2.;-

therethrough, concave-convex fastening devices adaptaed to be positioned in the yoke, said devices each being provided with an offset portion adapted to be placed in engagement with a portion of the rail, insulating material interposed between the yoke and the fastening devices, and fibrous material in the form of a block adapted to be driven into the yoke between the rail and the tie and into engagement with the fastening devices.

15. A railway tie comprising a yoke metallic rail gripping and fastening devices each provided with an off-set portion serving as a bearing point to engage the yoke and I to engage a portion of a rail, means interposed between the rail and tie and serving to direct the fastening devices into clamping engagement with the rail, and means to insulate the rail from the tie.

ice

16. A railway tie comprising means to support a rail, a rail fastening device having a thickened offset portion adapted to engage a portion of a rail, means to encircle the fastening device and to serve as a fulcrum element for said fastening device, and means to direct and secure the fastening device into clamping engagement with the rail.

17. A railway rail tie comprising means carried by a tie to support a rail, a fastening device having a thickened curved end adapted to engage a portion of a rail, a yoke carried by the tie and cooperating with the rail supporting means to retain the fastening device in engagement with the rail, a strip of insulating material positioned between the yoke and the upper face of the fastening device to insulate the rail from the tie.

18. A. railway tie comprising a yoke member adapted to be secured to a tie, a rail fastening device having an offset portion adapted to engage a portion of a rail, and a retaining element operating to cause a portion of the fastening device to bear against the roof of the yoke and thereby cause its offset portion to cooperate with the retaining element to grip a portion of the rail be tween them.

19. A railway tie comprising a yoke member, a rail fastening device in the form of a tapered tempered resilient clip having a thickened offset portion, and a substantially resilient block to engage the thinner edge of the rail-gripping device to deflect the offset portion against the yoke and thereby cooperate with the block to grip a portion of a rail.

20. In a device of the class described, a metallic tie substantially in the form of an I-beam, a yoke secured to the web of the I-beam, a substantially resilient fastening device positioned in the yoke, and a yield able Wedge-like supporting member adapted to be interposed between the yoke and the tie to retain the fastening device in a predetermined position.

21. In a device of the class described, a metallic tie, a yieldable supporting member cooperating therewith,- a fastening device adapted to be engaged by the supporting member, an encircling member operating to bind the tie, supporting member and fastening device into a predetermined cooperative relation, and a wedge-shaped plate adapted to be driven into the space formed by the encircling member to cause the supporting member to be forced into biting engagement with the fastening device.

22. A railway tie comprising means carried by a tie to support a rail, a fastening device having a thickened curved end to engage with a portion of a rail, a yoke adapted to contact at one edge thereof with the fastening device to direct the same into gripping and securing engagement with the rail, and means cooperating with the rail supporting means to retain the fastening device in operative position.

23. A railway tie comprising a tie, a yoke member supported thereon, a rail fastening device adapted to be pivotally mounted against a portion of the yoke member, and means cooperating with the yoke and fastening means to direct the fastening means into gripping and securing engagement with a portion of a rail.

2 I11 a device of the class described, a rail fastening device having one end thereof thickened and curved, said device being tapered to a substantially feather edge at its other end, a yoke member cooperating with the thickened portion of the fastening device to act as a retainer against disengaging movement of the fastening device, and means cooperating with the yoke and the feather edge todirect and secure the fastening device into clamping engagement with the rail.

25. In a device of the class described, a rail fastening device having one end formed into a rail engaging and stop member, said device being tapered to form a substantially feathered. edge at its other end, means cooperating with the thickened portion of the fastening device to retain said end into engagement with rail, and rail supporting means cooperating with the fastening device so that the feather edge of said device may bite into the material of the rail supporting means to prevent lateral movement of the rail.

26. In a device of the class described, metallic tie, a yieldable rail supporting member adapted to be positioned thereon, a rail fastening device adapted to be engaged by the supporting member to retain the fastening device in a predetermined position, and an encircling member secured to the tie to bind the tie, supporting member and fastening device, and when so assembled cooperate to produce a substantially rigid and unitary structure which engages and holds a rail against creeping and spreading movements.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

HARRY S. ISHAM.

flopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

